HAPPY VETERANS DAY

Jefferson County joined the rest of the Nation on Sunday, November 11th in recognizing Veterans. Veteran’s Day was originally established to honor the veterans of World War I. Because November 11th was the date of the armistice signed to cease fighting between the Allied Nations and Germany, that date was chosen as a day to celebrate peace and the contributions of those that served in the war. Though the war was not officially ended until the end of June of 1919, the armistice went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 and is known as the unofficial end of the war. In the early years, November 11th was designated as Armistice Day, however it was changed to Veteran’s Day to include Veterans from World War II, the Korean War and all veterans in 1954. Veteran’s Day does not follow the uniform Holiday Act, however this year the governmental offices will be closed on Monday in recognition of Veteran’s Day because the Federal Holiday fell on a Sunday. Veteran’s Day was briefly included in the Uniform Holidays Act, however it was removed in the late 1970 and November 11th was, again, designated to recognize Veterans. Many Jefferson County schools and businesses held programs and ceremonies to recognize local veterans through out last week. The most current census lists 4, 727 veterans in Jefferson County and 505,746 veterans in Tennessee. That number is likely larger with the return of some veterans from recent deployment.

Source: K. Depew, News Director